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Monday, May 8, 2017

Results and The Hocked Locket Bracket (Round 3)

There were some disturbances in the Betty-Force during the last round--some signs that our resolve is beginning to fray. A few of us were desolate about the exit of Blow Hot, Blow Cold. Another faction simmers while Rose Comely gets her day. It's all like this from here on out. The pickings are fat and some of it needs to be trimmed.

I volunteer as tribute.

The closest thing to a tie was between Tulips for Augusta (That opening bit on the private ward is sublime.) and The Mistletoe Kiss (The winner).

Wish With the Candles vs.

The Mistletoe Kiss

A Girl Named Rose vs.

A Gentle Awakening

The Magic of Living (bye)

Now let's sail our ship into the icy waters of The Hocked Locket Bracket! Lots of interesting match-ups there but I hesitate to tell you who I am rooting for. Being a Tie-Breaker is a little like being Zeus, seated in rock-like repose on Mount Olympus (...with a braided beard. That's how I'm imagining it), ready to hurl thunderbolts on unsuspecting mortals.

Betty Keira was not going to take the elimination of her favorites lying down.

Henrietta's Own CastleA Dream Came TrueMatilda's Wedding?Tempestuous April

HOC b/c I love that she's almost 30 and entirely independent and bakes bread in a tin saucepan. Yow. Adore Theodosia and what's-his-name, too, but it's a very short little bon-bon...ADCT b/c of the blizzard. I love blizzards. Maggy's great, but Paul's a big doofus, though I won't complain about any of these. Or, not much.The last two were coin tosses, and none of those four books make my top ten-or-thereabouts, I shouldn't think.

Henrietta's Own CastleA Dream Came TrueMatilda's WeddingOnly By ChanceFate is Remarkable (bye)

This was an easy one for me. I love Theodosia and Gustavus AND Hugo, but it has to be eliminated at some point and at least it is up against a worthy opponent this week.

Confession time, dear Betties. I had very deliberately not read Winter Wedding although it has been on my shelves for 2 years, because it was my very last unread book of the Canon and I wanted to preserve that as long as possible. This, I decided, was the time. Prepare yourselves for blasphemy: I didn't love it. In fact, I actively disliked it and gave it only 2 stars on GR and ranked it in my bottom 10.

Here's my take on WW: quite a few of the RDDs are initially quite unpleasant to our PBNs. As we've discussed frequently, to merit forgiveness, they must either grovel sufficiently (or their behavior suggests future groveling, a la Radinck and Dominic) or they must perform a Grand Gesture (thinking of Waldo and Marius) to make up for it. IMO, Renier does neither. His sole kindness is to buy back her locket from the pawn shop. Plus, Emily is FAR too forgiving of Louisa's behavior. Again in my opinion, 18 isn't that young. I married at 18; countless young women are single mums by 18 and even these days, thankfully few of them drug their children so they can go out.

I agree, Pam. Louisa isn't just a carefree teenager, she's a child abuser. I could not believe the way Emily kept making excuses for her. I'm sorry your last Betty was disappointing! I still have a few that I haven't read, partly because based on the reviews I don't think I'll like them, and partly because I just like the feeling that there are 2 or 3 out there that I haven't read. Like money in the bank.

:O ducking down from possible thunderbolts... please please good and fair Zeus, be not evil, no gnashing of teeth, no smoting of mine head. Be thine kind and just and forgiving of we that are not worthy in thine eyes. *bow bow*, *genuflect genuflect*

Is there somewhere where the meaning of Araminta, Olivia, Veronica, etc is spelled out? I get the gist, but would be interested to see the discussion. also I think I've figured out most of the acronyms (RDD, etc) but is there a list somewhere? newbie questions. :-)